Marc Marquez wins 4th consecutive race at Brno

Marvelous Marc Marquez. The Repsol Honda rookie took his fourt consecutive victory - his fifth of the season and taking with another two records, as he equalled Kenny Roberts Sr. record of the most wins by a rookie rider (4) and also Mike Hailwood’s record as the youngest rider to have won four consecutive races.

Marquez finished ahead of team mate Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, a repeat of the Indianapolis podium.

Cal Crutchlow was sitting in pole position, but Lorenzo had a sensational start - as in Indianapolis - as he lead the raced followed by Marquez, Pedrosa and Crutchlow.

In just one lap the Yamaha factory rider gained more than a one second advantage, as the two Honda riders tried to reel him in, as Martin Bauer crashed out at the end of the first lap (he later rejoined) and then Hector Barbera lost control, clipping the rear end of Claudio Corti’s NGM Forward maching and taking out the hapless Italian, while Lukas Pesek crashed out just one lap later.

Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautista began battling for fourth, as Marquez and Pedrosa were catching the tail of Lorenzo as Bradley Smith crashed out on lap 5, and then disaster again struck Yamaha Tech3 squad as Crutchlow who had shaken of Bautista was trying to bridge the gap with the three front runners when he lowsided out. He was able to rejoin, but in 20th, which ruined his very competitive weekend as he finished 17th and outside the points zone.

With the British rider out of contention Rossi who was sixth caught Bautista and passed him. While up front the three were circulating on the tail of each other, as a few drops of rain hit the track, but lap times remained the same, with no one even thinking of pitting to change their bikes.

Marquez made his move on Lorenzo at turn 3, but the Yamaha rider responed and held on to the outside line. The rookie tried again in lap 15 and at turn 11 going into Horsepower Hill and this time his attack was hard, but Lorenzo wasn’t giving up and retook the lead in lap 18, as Marquez finally made his decisive pass with just three laps remaining began to put half a second, between his rivals, as Pedrosa also disposed of Lorenzo.

The Yamaha rider no longer had the pace to stay with the two, having spent everything in the first half of the race and fending off the attacks.

Valentino Rossi would take fourth after racing Bautista to the wire, and the two were well ahead of Stefan Bradl who took a lonely sixth. This time there was no clash between the Ducati factory riders as Andrea Dovizioso finshed ahead of his team mate and a battered and bruised Andrea Iannone and Aleix Espargaro.

2013 MotoGP Brno Race Results:

01- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 22 laps in 42’50.729
02- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.313
03- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.277
04- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 10.101
05- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 10.178
06- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 19.807
07- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 35.015
08- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 35.354
09- Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 51.149
10- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 56.392